Before rolling out a program, software, patch, or updating a system, it must go through a Software Testing Life Cycle (STLC). The cycle involves testing the product for bugs by first understanding the development requirement and ensuring it is functioning adequately. The cycle involves five complex phases of requirement analysis, test planning, designing and development of test case, environment set up for the test, and test execution.
The entire cycle requires an expensive laboratory environment and infrastructure. Additionally, orchestrating and managing whole in-house software requires specialized personnel to reach your product to the regional or global physical environment. Recently outsourcing has proved an adequate solution to resolve the challenges of on-site laboratories.
Lab-as-a-service is commonly abbreviated as LAAS and refers to a cloud computing service where companies pay to use laboratory infrastructure instead of buying it. So, what are the advantages of outsourcing laboratory services?
1. Automation of product development process
Previously the speed of product development was extremely slow. Products took months or years before they are introduced in the market or used. With the introduction of laboratory outsourcing, the speed has been drastically increased and automated by more than fifteen times.
The automation of product development positively impacts a materially as the period reaches the market faster, usually in less time than anticipated. Additionally, companies earn a competitive advantage in the market due to the increased speed of product development brought by automation.
2. Reduced cost of product development
Two significant aspects can explain the reduced cost of product development: the cost of harnessing all the lab hardware and the cost of orchestrating, building, and managing a product platform. First, the cost of acquiring and operating a single piece of lab hardware is significantly high such that operating an entire hardware inventory is impossible, especially for small and medium business enterprises. Before a product gets out in the market, it must go through a cycle that is operated by a whole platform.
A working platform has been orchestrated and well-managed, which can only be achieved by adequate infrastructure. With good infrastructure, you can reach the regional and global target rapidly. Lab as a service can easily consolidate the entire global infrastructure hence aiding your organization to span your target audience without much cost. Also, the service increases the efficiency and usability of the expensive infrastructure by avoiding the underutilization of resources. The end cost benefits everyone in the chain, including partners and customers.
3. Reduced product development timeframe
Initially, a product or solution took nearly a decade before completing its development cycle. However, the capabilities and advantages of LaaS are drastically taking over the product development cycles of nearly ninety-nine percent of global organizations.
Lab-as-a-service grants an organization incredible power and functionality to orchestrate a test harness before taking the product through the testing cycle within a short time. The powerful LaaS technology has enabled the shrinkage of the overall product development timeframe, hence, encourages its adoption. The acceleration of creating a working platform coupled with speedy productivity ensures increased production at the organization in a slashed timeframe.
4. The organization can focus on core business throughout the product development cycle.
While in-house laboratories can deliver the required services, they eat up a big portion of the organization’s operating and overhead costs. Additionally, they cannot utilize the resources to optimum levels and deliver the test closure within the required timeframe.
On the other hand, outsourcing laboratory services are run by experts with the expertise to provide the product with lower variable costs and high fixed costs. This allows the organization to receive quality products at the end of the cycle with zero bugs while still focusing on their day-to-day activities.
The characteristics of in-house laboratories include a high initial investment, high fixed cost to cater for employees’ salaries and benefits and excessive under-utilization of workforce and resources. The characteristics of outsourced laboratories include an optimum total cost, labor, and investment. Hence, an in-house laboratory’s operating costs are significantly due to the costly and under-utilized equipment, excess capacity, and a shift of requirements to a minimum.
On the other hand, outsourcing reduces, rationalizes, or eliminates the ever-rising operating lab costs and rates of underutilization. It also earns you increased productivity, and the overall performance and service is significantly improved
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